Simulacrum
by ALiC.P
Summary: However hell-bent on revenge Genos is, he's still only 19 years old. The fact of the matter is that Dr. Kuseno isn't getting any younger. The doctor can't fix the cyborg forever, so he'll prepare- prepare so that this young man who's lost so much doesn't have to fall into disrepair just because he's no longer there... A review would be nice :) *webcomic spoilers in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

***This story is caught up to the ONE's original webcomic (as of now chapter 106).**  
The events are not _too_ relevant to this story, but future chapters will contain some spoilers.

Go read the webcomic * _thumbs up_ * :D

* * *

• "-san"= common all-purpose honorific, can be equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs.  
• hakase= used when addressing a person with very high academic expertise; "doctor" (someone with a Ph.D.)

* * *

In the back of his mind he had always known. Genos had already lost his family, his friends and town—it was understandable that he had pushed the thought so far back. He didn't want to think about losing anyone else… but it was something inevitable. He had to accept that. There was no denying it: everybody dies. Some sooner than others.

Despite the fact that Genos threw himself into danger with regularity, there was still the fact that Dr. Kuseno was an elderly man. In some way he had always assumed that he would fall in battle before the grim reaper came for the doctor in his sleep. From experience he had good reason to believe that, even if it was only on a subconscious level. Now, consciously, he was forcing himself to face reality.

Genos was packing a backpack when he heard a door open and footsteps. He didn't bother to look up.

"Genos-san…?"

Professor Kuseno's successor.

"The professor is upstairs," he answered before being asked anything. "He's making you something I believe."

But today was not the day to mourn the old man, not yet, and hopefully it would be many more years before that time came.

"O-oh, okay. Thanks."

Genos had nothing more to say, not that he wanted to make small talk anyway. He heard the footsteps grow fainter, then they suddenly came up to him.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Genos-san. I don't know if Grandpa said so already, but my name's Gigi."

He raised his head, glancing at her extended hand.

The professor's successor. And granddaughter.

He accepted her hand and shook it, "Yeah."

The young man had no idea what else to say. A part of him felt that he should be… _nice_? She was family of the man who had saved his life, besides that being mean to her would make the doctor upset with him. However being respectful to others who weren't the professor or sensei wasn't… something he regularly practiced.

Fortunately he was spared of having to think of this any longer.

She pulled her hand away, "I'll be on my way. I guess I'll see you later," and she picked up her pace.

He returned his attention to his backpack and paused as he reached for another item.

She may have not saved his life but she had definitely put hours of work into him.

The hand he flexed, the legs he was standing on, everything from the neck down – the body he was in had been made by her.

* * *

When Genos approached the facility his sensors had picked up a second life signal but he knew the professor was still there (he had his specific life signal catalogued). There were no signs of forced entry nor any sounds of distress, but he still wondered and worried. _Would_ Dr. Kuseno bring anyone here? Who?

As soon as the cyborg entered the lab he was met with the old doctor's smiling face. He looked okay, and Genos quietly sighed in relief.

The professor's own security systems had detected the young man's presence and he predicted that Genos would likely pick up on the second person. The boy had a hot-head so he had gone out to ensure that he didn't jump to conclusions.

Kuseno walked with him and soon enough the source of the second life signal came into a view.

She was sitting in a chair but promptly hopped off when she saw the blond. "G-good day, Genos-san," she stood straight and adjusted a set of round glasses.

He looked her up and down. She knew his name? Why was she wearing a lab coat? What was going on?

She seemed to be about his age: brown hair with thick straight bangs, and the rest of it tied in a braid that curved up like a J. She had a long nose too.

"Who-?" Genos began to question.

"She's my successor," the doctor assured the cyborg with a pat to the back.

"What?"

"I'll explain everything later, you need to be fixed up first," he motioned in the direction of the table.

Right. That's why he had come in the first place. Genos headed over there and as he adjusted himself onto the table he overhead the doctor telling his… his successor that this was a great learning opportunity. She was still in training then?

"Hope you don't mind, Genos," the professor said when he came over, "but I'll need you to go to sleep for a while. It'll be quick."

"Yes, of course Hakase."

…

When Genos awoke and all his systems were a go, he looked around and felt that there was something different but he couldn't pinpoint what…  
That thought disappeared when he saw her.

He slowly sat up. Apparently that girl had fallen asleep with her head resting on the table.

"I left fresh clothes here, Genos."

The young man turned the other way to see Professor Kuseno.

"Thank you."

While getting dressed the cyborg observed the old man walk over to his apparent future replacement and tap her shoulder. No response. She was out cold. His artificial eyes caught the glint of her glasses hanging from the doctor's breastpocket. Seems he had tried earlier.

"Are you going to leave her there?" he asked with the slightest curiosity.

"Of course not," the elder looked up at the other. "I was waiting for you to wake up."

His lips pressed together and his mouth straightened. He wanted him to carry her?

Dr. Kuseno exhaled, "You won't help a feeble old man, Genos?"

"Who exactly is she?"

"My successor." He breathed in, "Genos, there is a strong likelihood that I will pass before you do. I'm not getting any younger, and I hate to think of what would become of you."

"But can she be trusted? Where did you even fin-"

"Genos," he said sharply. "Please. I would prefer that you do not speak of my granddaughter that way." His voice was firm.

That made him step back mentally. She was _family_? He, he didn't know much about the professor's personal life now that he thought about it… Let alone that he had a family.  
"My apologies. I didn't know that she was Hakase's…" He stopped and looked away.  
"…Does she have a room?"

"Take her to her office-room for now, so that you don't jostle her around too much."

"Yes, sir." The young man tried to lift her up carefully; he didn't want to hear that tone from the professor again.

"She's exhausted. She's been up for hours making that body," Kuseno explained as he guided the younger man.

"Body?" Genos paused.

"Yes. You could call it her 'final' – and she passed." He eyed the cyborg, "There's still plenty she has to learn, but she's qualified to make your current body."

He didn't know how to respond to that. He looked down at the granddaughter, and to his own body. She had _made_ it? So she wasn't as green as he'd assumed…

"Don't worry. If I didn't feel that that body was up to par I would not have transferred you into it."

All he could manage to do was nod.

Genos didn't normally go to this part of the lab. The professor's 'office' was on that side, and next to it another with the word 'assistant' on the door. He acted quickly in laying her down; with the professor there as well he didn't linger, but from the periphery of his vision he saw a bookshelf, a closet, and a desk full of work.

"How long has she been here?"

"Hmm, she moved in her things last week. She's been visiting this facility for weeks now- it's just you two always managed to miss each other." He looked at Genos, "You should stick around for a while longer. You two should meet properly."

The doctor picked up a clipboard, "Genos, how does everything feel?"

"Uh," he blinked. "Is this about her work?"

"It is."

"Thus far everything feels fine and moves smoothly," he focused on the clipboard. Dr. Kuseno was writing something. "Is that her evaluation?"

"It is. I'll have a look over everything in more detail later on."

Genos was curious - there were so many sheets on that clipboard. What does an evaluation on cyborg creation look like? Considering that he _was_ the subject who this would affect the most…

"I still have more to look at," the professor made his way to a screen. He turned back to the younger man, "Would you like to watch yourself be made, Genos?"

"E-excuse me?"

* * *

Her work had been recorded.

"She worked nonstop? For how long?"

"She had been working for over ten hours when I left. Since I wasn't the one under pressure I couldn't keep my eyes open for much longer."

And that was the footage he was reviewing: what she did while he slept.

"Isn't that…"  
The footage was being watched at higher speeds to save time but he had noticed a brief moment when she had sat down in a chair, elbows on knees, head hanging low – exhausted.  
"…a little cruel?"

Professor Kuseno paused the video and eyed the cyborg. Was that _sympathy_ from Genos? The old man blinked hard when he saw the cyborg turn to him. Was this a result of spending time with that master of his…?

"Admittedly." The old man recomposed himself, "During an exam you normally don't stop, and furthermore it's to prepare for emergencies…" he glimpsed at and away from the other, "much as I had to deal with."

Genos felt a lump in his throat. The mind could definitely create phantom sensations couldn't it? He wanted to apologize again; he wanted to thank him again for what he had done, but he kept quiet instead.

"That's enough." The doctor turned off the screen. "I had woken up by that point."

* * *

Genos made his way upstairs where the… Kuseno ** _s_** were. They had shaken hands in the lab- what more of a meeting did the professor want from him?

"Hakase, I've restocked on spare parts," he rounded the corner to the kitchen. She was there- the replacement- her name was… something simple, but…

It looked like she had just finished eating, the doctor was near the counter, and their lab coats were hanging from a coat hook.

"Are you leaving, Genos-san?"

The cyborg could feel the professor's eyes on him. 'Meet _properly_ ' he heard echo in his head. Did he want him to chat with her? Did it have to be done now?

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Grandpa's told me you have a teacher, right?"

"I do." Damn, she _wants_ to talk to him. He was realizing now that she had been too exhausted to say much when they met. He was hoping she was a silent type, a nervous type even – too nervous to talk to people.

She stood up, patted her button-down shirt and blue slacks, took her dishes to the sink, "He sounds like an interesting person," and proceeded to innocently ask, "but why do you admire him so much?"

Both men's eyes widened slowly.

"Grandpa…?"

He looked horrified for some reason.

Genos raised a hand, and opened his mouth ready to say everything but didn't. "Wait, let me make some tea first. Have a seat."

The old man shook his head solemnly- _What have you done?_

She took a seat again, still not understanding her grandfather's reaction.

"Hakase, do you have a chalkboard or whiteboard I could borrow?" The tea had been placed.

Dr. Kuseno only nodded, already resigned to what was about to happen.

Before the teapot whistled Genos reappeared with a chalkboard and notebooks. Enough notebooks that when he set them down on the kitchen table the granddaughter's eyes widened too.

The teapot sounded and he expertly prepared a cup. "Saitama-sensei is a great man who's a hero for hobby and profit," he started as he set down the cup before the young lady.

She had stood up to get a better look at the notebooks but sat with some hesitation when the blond began to speak. What were the notebooks for?

….

"Now do you have any remaining doubts?" Genos asked hours later.

She had already been awake for a day hard at work making a cyborg, although she had rested and eaten since then it was not enough to handle such an overload of information so soon after. But although she felt numb and a little dizzy…  
She adjusted her glasses, a tired smile on her face, "He sounds really amazing."

The professor was half-asleep in the living room and sat up when he heard her.

As for Genos, he stared at her blankly for a moment. "That's correct," his expression relaxed. "Sensei _is_ really amazing."

The nineteen-year-old left soon after his long-winded and overly-detailed speech.

So that granddaughter of his had enough sense to recognize Sensei's greatness. Good.

* * *

 _συνεχίζεται..._

* * *

 **My reasons for this:** I JUST DON'T WANT GENOS TO DIE OKAY  
** minigenos. tumblr (good ol' dot-com) /post/135408181741/some-genos-things-to-imagine

* * *

*** συνεχίζεται (synechízetai) - Greek for " _to be continued_ "


	2. Chapter 2

**"** _When you will have made him a body without organs,  
then you will have delivered him from all his automatic reactions  
and restored him to his true freedom._ **"**

She had never liked those words. They bothered her, although she was never sure why.

'A body without organs' that's what she thought as she looked upon the cybernetic body she had constructed nearly from scratch. A body without organs in the likeness of a blond young man.

"Hmph, well I'll be… He's on his way."

"What?" The tension in her body momentarily released.

"Genos is on his way," the professor reaffirmed as he looked at a security monitor. "You two finally get to meet," then he glanced down at the body, "You get to meet the real one. Hope he's not in too bad a shape… Although that would be reason for him to try out the body you made, wouldn't it?"

"Uhm, but it's-"

"You did a fine job. This one passes," the doctor smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I should go meet up with Genos. Assuming all of his sensors work, I'm sure you can guess what he'll realize before he arrives?"

"O-oh! Yes, I understand."

After he left she turned again toward the body on the table. Meet the real one, huh?  
She laid a hand on the brow and closed the eyes.

It was a curious thing, when she finally saw the 'real Genos.'

In a way, she was already more than familiar with Genos. She had placed every bolt and tube where it needed to be, connected all the artificial tendons and muscles – knew how everything came together and functioned.

During her practice she'd test out every piece for mobility, so she had made the limbs flex and the hands curl. A long period of time had been spent on his face as well, what with making 'him' move his eyes and mouth, including checking the elasticity of the skin through expressions like a frown, a yawn, a smile.

Then there were the tests for endurance, reliability, reaction time, and power. Previously when she had attempted to make a 'final' body she had failed in one or more of those areas. If she had been making an android then what she had produced so far would have been worthy of praise, but such was not the case.

So when the real Genos walked in on his own with a broken-off arm, with large scratches on his torso, and an upper corner of his face torn off to reveal the metal skull beneath – despite everything that screamed how inhuman he was… she saw otherwise.

She hopped off the chair she had been waiting in when he approached, "G-good day, Genos-san," stood straight and adjusted her round glasses.

If she wasn't so exhausted she would have been physically taken aback by it.

There was something in those black eyes. _There was_ _ **someone**_ _in there._

"Who-?" the cyborg began to question.

"She's my successor," the doctor assured the cyborg with a pat to the back.

"What?"

"I'll explain everything later, you need to be fixed up first," the professor motioned in the direction of the table.

As Genos headed over there she observed his walk. That stride, however strict and proper it was, had a certain… naturalness to it.

Then it all turned off. He looked exactly like all the other empty bodies in the lab, but this one was unlike the rest.

"Do you always make him sleep like that for repairs, Grandpa?"

"Only rarely."

She neared the table, "What did you mean by learning opportunity? I know how to patch him up."

Dr. Kuseno rolled over the 'other Genos.'  
"This is your chance to learn how to do a transfer."

"A… transfer? Into— _Really?_ A-are you sure? He won't–"

"All of your work has paid off," he said with a nod. "Genos can use this one."

She stepped back, her eyes darting from one body to the other.

He meant this?

Every other time she had tried, whenever she had done something wrong that didn't pass a quality inspection or safety test her work was rejected. 'Good enough' was not acceptable. It had to be **right.**

"Gigi, check if his skull is at all damaged, will you? I prefer not to remove his brain unless necessary…"

She took half a step back, eyelashes fluttering against her glasses – _He meant this._

Inhale. Hold.

Her fingers twitched. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"That should do it," the elder said.

What was reasonably salvageable, and what was vital such as the head and core, had been transferred into the new body.

"His face still needs to be replaced," Gigi commented without inflection.

"That it does, but unlike the transfer you have experience with making his face." The professor gave a half-smile, "There's no need for you to fuss; I'll take care of that."

She sat down on and sighed out, "Really?"  
She looked at Genos once more—he was going to walk out of the lab in this.

"You should rest—" *** _Bam!_ *** —Dr. Kuseno jumped! "Gigi?!"

She had fainted forward?!

The doctor went to her side and nudged her but she was out. Her forehead had landed right onto the table yet she managed to not strike her glasses on the table's edge. He removed them before anything else could be done.

* * *

"Hakase, I've restocked on spare parts,"

She had just wiped her mouth with a napkin when Genos rounded the corner to the kitchen.

"Are you leaving, Genos-san?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Grandpa's told me you have a teacher, right?"

"I do."

Gigi stood up and patted down her clothes. That teacher of his, a superhero – apparently Genos lived with him, and from what her grandfather described the young man tended to not take a shining to people. She picked up her dishes and while heading to the sink asked, "He sounds like an interesting person, but why do you admire him so much?"

Both men's eyes widened slowly.

"Grandpa…?" Why did he looked so spooked?

Genos raised a hand, opened his mouth then seemed to change his mind, "Wait, let me make some tea first. Have a seat."

She took a seat again, noting how her grandfather shook his head with a solemn look on his face. Was something wrong? Was something terrible about to happen? Wouldn't Grandpa put a stop to it if that were the case?

Before the teapot whistled Genos reappeared with a chalkboard and notebooks. Enough notebooks that when he set them down on the kitchen table there was a noticeable thud.

The teapot sounded and the blond walked away, yet her eyes remained fixed on the stack of notes. Why so many?  
Gigi stood up to get a closer look at what the cover said, titling her head slightly to diminish the degree at which the letters were upside down from her vantage point. _Teacher's Notes_ , it said.

"Saitama-sensei is a great man who's a hero for hobby and profit," Genos began to explain as he set down the cup before the young lady.

She glanced down at the tea. Somehow, this reminded her of the long talks somebody would be put through by a parent, or some other authority figure, after they had done something wrong…

Gigi hesitantly sat once more as the cyborg continued to speak.

"Saitama-sensei began his training three years ago," Genos pointed with the chalk at a stick figure he had drawn. With hair.

…How nice?

"He was an ordinary man then, however Sensei possessed a great sense of justice and an unmatched heroic resolve. Through tremendous effort and unflinching perseverance he gained abilities unmatched by anyone on Earth!" He pointed at a different stick figure, one without hair and wearing a cape!

"Saitama-sensei and I first met when…"

Her eyes slowly opened wider as she drank the tea and listened attentively to what the young man had to say.

Part of her learning had involved the development and creation of his voice. Her grandfather had created an outstanding speech synthesis system, far surpassing the robot voices available on some smartphones. She had fiddled with the pitch and tone, and replayed his voice countless times until audible signs of its artificial origins were no longer detectable, yet no matter how many times she listened there was always something lacking…

Right now though, right now Genos _sounded so enthusiastic_ , as if he was telling the greatest story never heard!

So this was that cyborg body was capable of when attached to a human brain? An organ that remained unmatched by any technology in its ability to control a myriad of processes, the number of which would easily overwhelm any computer, and drive mad anyone who tried to consciously control so many actions.

Genos had drawn a room and a strange standing creature with some semblance to a beetle, "With a single punch he tore through that experiment of the House of Evolution! Not only did my jaw drop in amazement but so did the scientist's!"

Of course it had been lacking something. After all, it had been shown that people could tell more often than not when a person was smiling from their voice alone.

"…although debris fell upon Z-City no one was harmed."

"Then why do people say he's a fraud?" she asked.

"It's all slander and lies!"

Gigi scooted back in her chair from the sudden yell!

He continued on to explain the situation, recounting the incident with the Sea King: how so many heroes gave it their all, and when all seemed lost how Saitama had appeared…

The eyes are windows to the soul, isn't that what they said? And the mouth the door.

"Sensei laughed and claimed that he would take the credit for defeating the Sea King."

"But he did."

Genos turned to face the chalkboard which was now full of illustrations and words, "Yes, he did. Sensei told the crowd that it was fortunate that he had arrived late because by then the Sea King had been weakened by all the other heroes…"

Body and mind were so intertwined that it was easy to take for granted that people had souls. Every aspect of that cyborg she had been working on was artificial, that when Genos's mind was placed inside-

Well it felt like she could say she had seen the human soul.

She managed a smile, and adjusted her glasses so that her weary eyes could look up at his, "He sounds really amazing."

Genos stared at her blankly for a moment. "That's correct," his expression relaxed. "Sensei _is_ really amazing."

* * *

待续 _..._

* * *

*quote, from Antonin Artaud's radio play To Have Done with the Judgment of God

** 待续 (dàixù) - Chinese for " _to be continued_ "


	3. Impression

"Incinerate!" The Mysterious Being was engulfed in flames and fell in defeat!

Genos looked on, his scanners confirming that that was it for the monster. He exhaled—the fight had been a quick and had resulted in little damage to the surroundings and to himself, yet he still felt something off... The young man looked at the ports in his palm and purposefully closed his hand into a fist.

"Thank you, Demon Cyborg!"

His attention snapped back to the present moment, where he told the civilians that it was no trouble as he was a hero after all. Genos made his way home after assuring that no harm had come to any of them, but that _something_ continued to bother him…

* * *

Steam rose from the pot when Genos removed the lid. This was going to be today's lunch for his teacher, who was watching television, and himself.

The blond was beginning to set out the plates when his phone rang.

"Huh?" Saitama looked back.

"Perhaps it's the Hero Association?" Genos pondered aloud as he picked up his phone.

"Man, right when we were gonna have lunch too…?"

The younger hero's eyes widened- _The professor?_ "Hello?"

 _[[ Genos_ , _how are you? ]]  
_

"I'm doing well. Is something the matter?"

 _[[ Not at all, this is just a check-up call. ]]_

"I see." This was about his body, wasn't it?

He turned to Saitama, and lowered the phone while covering the speaker piece, "Sensei, you may begin the meal without me. I need to speak with Kuseno-hakase about some…personal matters. It should be quick."

"Uhm, sure, okay. Don't be too long, or it'll get cold." He raised a hand at Genos as he stepped outside.

 _[[ Genos? Are you still there? ]]_

"Yes, I am. My apologies, Hakase, I had just finished making Sensei's lunch."

 _[[ Oh, sorry for inter- ]]_

"It's fine, professor. I wanted to talk to you, although we **should** keep this brief."

 _[[ Yes, I understand. Well then, how's your body functioning? ]]_

"Smoothly. I have already engaged in battles with Mysterious Beings, and encountered no problems."

 _[[ Oh that's a relief! ]]_

"However, there is something that continues to bother me…"

 _[[ Really? ]]_

"When that girl, your successor, made this, did she do so in a way that was different than your way Hakase?"

 _[[ Fundamentally she built your body the same as I have. ]]_

"Fundamentally?" Genos stressed.

 _[[ What I mean to say is… what she built met the standards. Genos, earlier you said that you've encountered no problems, right? That proves it's up to par. ]]  
_ The professor paused.  
 _[[ Logistically it would have been highly unlikely—actually it would have been impossible for her to have assembled your body in the same manner as I would have. ]]_

"She **what**?"

 _[[ Genos, Genos, there's nothing wrong with that. ]]_  
The old man chuckled softly. Sometimes that boy's unwillingness to loosen up would make him crack a smile…  
 _[[ Your body is operating normally, and can hold out against battles with monsters. It's only a matter… of style. ]]  
_ Professor Kuseno quieted again as a different idea surfaced in his conscious.  
 _[[ Genos, what exactly are you feeling? ]]  
_

"Well I…" he looked down at his hand and flexed it. "Right now I'm using my housework arms, the ones made by you Hakase. Somehow these feel different than the arms she made. It's not because these ones are lighter, I'm certain of that, yet these arms… these arms…"  
There was no solid data for this. The doctor was right: this body was the same. Why then?  
"I know it makes no sense, but these arms feel similar to the others you have made in the past. And at this moment the difference is more drastic, as the rest of this body was-"

 _[[ I see ]]_

"Yes, professor? Have you come to a realization?"

 _[[ It's only a hunch. ]]_ The elder exhaled  
 _[[ In these four years I was the only one building you a body. I suppose you've become familiar with my handiwork, however now that someone else's hands have been at work... Well I believe that's what you've been sensing. ]]_

"I'm afraid I don't understand…"

 _[[ Well it's…]]  
_ He thought of an example. _  
[[_ _If you wear a watch on your wrist every day, eventually you'll continue to feel that watch against your skin even after taking it off. Or you could follow a recipe step by step, but it still doesn't taste as delicious as, say, when grandma made it…]]_

"But my body's artificial, how can I possibly-"

 _[[ Genos, you have nothing to worry about; you're not malfunctioning. Hmph, you don't work on something for so long without putting a little piece of yourself into it…! ]]_  
He sighed.  
 _[[_ _I'm sure you'll get used to the different mechanic's handprints in time. Now you should go eat lunch; I'm sure it's getting cold…]]_

With that Genos perked up, "Yes, of course! Thank you, professor, I'll call if I have any trouble."

* * *

"I have some good news, Gigi," Dr. Kuseno announced as he approached his granddaughter who was fiddling with something at a work table.

"I just got off the phone with Genos. He says that he's engaged Mysterious Beings in combat and come out fine."

The table banged!

"Gigi, are you okay?"

She was hunched over, forearms on the table, hands in fists, her body rigid, "I'm fine…" she exhaled and unclenched her hands. "I'm just…" a smile quivered on her lips as some sweat ran down her temple, " _I'm glad._ "

 _So it pulled through. It didn't malfunction. It didn't stall. It worked. He's_ _ **alive**_ _, he didn't—_

"I'm really glad," she felt her body tremble slightly. " **Really** glad." _Keep it together; steady breaths…_ "Thank you for telling me, Grandpa."  
She pushed herself upright again and fixed her glasses, "I-is it alright if I go to town?"

Professor Kuseno nodded, "It's alright. Just stay out of trouble and don't be out too late."

"I will, thank you."

As she walked away the old man looked on. It is a frightening thought: to know that a glitch could cost a life. It would be good for her to get some air.

* * *

As Gigi walked through town she felt significantly lighter. It was a tremendous relief to know that Genos had walked away unharmed. With her worries settled she focused again on the subject that had piqued her interest since she had met Genos: the hero association and Saitama.

She had tried to look up what the Hero Association had on file about him and for everything Genos had described all they had listed for Caped Baldy was capturing a rampaging ninja, _assisting_ in the destruction of the meteor, and _assisting_ with the defeat of the leader of the deep-sea folk. The other heroes who had taken part had been listed too, but Genos hadn't gone into much detail about them – that is if he had mentioned them at all.

She had tried searching about the bald hero in general but there also wasn't much to look at besides allegations of him being a fraud, although… she _had_ found a comment calling him a great hero who saved the city.

Despite the fact that the younger Kuseno wasn't all that familiar with the cyborg yet something in the back of mind pointed to the idea that that comment had been left by him. The cute emojis were a nice touch! Whether he genuinely typed like a fangirl or was trying to pretend to be a different person she couldn't say for certain.

…But he wasn't that clever socially, was he?

A snicker escaped Gigi's lips but she swallowed it back. After all she was in public and now at her P.O. Box. Her mail had arrived at last.

* * *

Maybe she could've tried to dig further into the Hero Association's database, that thought had certainly crossed her mind, but there was simply too much risk involved… The fact that it wasn't her area of expertise would certainly result in her slipping and being tracked.

Professor Kuseno had disappeared from the public sphere years ago- for reasons that he had yet to explain. And he had warned her—the warnings were vague, more implied really, but she understood all the same: the lab's location needed to remain secret. As the successor to keeping Genos maintained she couldn't risk being caught either.

So she had to make due.

 _The Hero Catalogue_ – the latest year's edition.

There was no need to bother Genos so much about other the heroes. She could do preliminary research herself and ask follow-up questions later.

Gigi sat on a park bench with her new-just-opened-from-the-packaging book, and pulled out a highlighter and pen.

The Hero Association was founded three years ago by…

…

"Hey, Miss?"

She raised her head, "…Yes?"

There was a little boy in front of her, and not a very cute one either… Bowl cut, unibrow, big cheeks, and a… unique nose.

He smiled at her, "You like heroes huh?" His eyes began to sparkle, apparently in anticipation of a lively discussion on why they're so cool.

"I… Well, no. I never paid a lot of attention to them before. I've been busy. But something's recently come up, and I think it would help out if I learned more about them."

The boy stared at her strangely, unsure what to make of her explanation.

"Umm but…" Gigi cracked a smile, "So do you like heroes?"

Now that he knew how to react to. "Yeah! I have a Hero's Catalog too – I've even met some heroes too!"

 _He what_. "Met? Oh, you must have gotten one of their autographs right?"

The boy rubbed the back of his head, "I uhh…" He looked around, as if worried that somebody would hear him. The boy sat down next to Gigi, "Can you keep a secret?"

This was taking a curious turn, "…Definitely."

He began to twiddle his thumbs and swing his legs, "You see Miss, a while back I got taken hostage by monsters. And a lot of heroes showed up to fight, big ones, famous ones, but the monsters were super-strong too, and Oji-san he… I know, I know it sounds like I'm making it up but they really-!"

"The day was saved, right?"

The boy looked up at her, some of the unease that was building in his expression fading away. He nodded. "You, you believe me…?"

"You sound sincere." And what he was saying was starting to sound too much like one of the incidents Genos had talked about the other day. "Can I ask you a favor?" She lowered the book onto her lap so that it was easily visible and turned the page to where the hero list began, "The heroes you saw, can you point them out and tell me more about them?"

He brightened up, glad that she believed him. The boy pointed at the S-Class hero, Rank 2, Tornado of Terror first…

…

It was getting late; the sun would be setting in an hour or so. That boy had had a lot to say - from Gigi's count he had listed off about a dozen heroes he had witnessed fight that night including Saitama and Genos.

She was on her way home now, with her catalog now brimming with extra information. Meeting that boy had been a stroke of luck – she had never gotten his name now that she thought about it. And he had never gotten hers. But according to that boy Saitama was every bit as powerful as Genos had described, and there were other top-ranking heroes there as witness. Something else that that boy had recounted to her was that 'the bald guy' was the only hero who stood up for 'Oji-san' when the others were demanding his head.

She slowed her pace. Saitama really did sound like a good person.

Gigi sighed. Unless those heroes spoke on his behalf, there was simply no real evidence to support Saitama's strength or 'greatness' as Genos had called it. There wasn't much in the way of public support for him either, and any pictures and videos she had found were of poor quality.

Why was it always like that? Why couldn't people learn to hold a damn camera steady-!

She froze. From the corner of her eye she had seen a glint. Was it from the setting sun? but what was it reflecting off of?

The young woman turned to her side and saw a window full of cameras and a variety of other recording equipment. It was a camera shop, she confirmed as she stepped back and looked up to the sign.

Ah, that's right.

Sometimes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

* * *

**Yes, the boy is the ugly little kid who Garou met and befriended. We've never been given a name for him, although he's referred to as _busaiku_ which refers to his ugliness

That kid also calls Garou _Oji-san_ ; scanlations have been translating this as "mister."  
You see, in Japan (and other countries too) it is polite to refer an older nameless stranger by a familial term. Normally, a child would be referring to Garou as _Onii-san_ or "big brother" because he's a young man, however he refers to Garou as _Oji-san_ or "uncle" which is what would be used for a middle-aged man (not to be confused with _Ojii-san_ "grandpa"). Saitama has also been referred to as "uncle" by kids on account of his baldness making him look older to them. However why this kid calls Garou that I have no idea…


End file.
